The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face the Cincinnati Bengals this Week 12. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL odds series, which includes our Steelers-Bengals prediction, odds, and pick.

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and the Baltimore Ravens are in a close fight in the AFC North, which is why winning this contest could have huge playoff implications. With that said, it is safe to expect both the Steelers and Bengals to go all out in an attempt to climb further in the standings.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here’s the Steelers-Bengals odds:

NFL odds: Steelers-Bengals Odds 

Steelers: +3.5 (-110)

Bengals: -3.5 (-110)

Over: 44.5 (-110)

Under: 44.5 (-110)

*Watch NFL Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)

Why Steelers Could Cover the Spread 

The Steelers started their season 1-4; however, they have won four of their last six games and are third in the AFC North. They are coming off a devastating 41-37 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11.

Pittsburgh took the lead on a late field goal with 3:24 to go, followed by a Chargers 53-yard pass to Mike Williams to regain the lead. The Steelers turned the ball over on downs the next possession and ended up losing the game.

Offensively, Mike Tomlin's men average 21.4 points on 328 yards per game. They are sixth in the NFL in pass play percentage (62.97%) and fifth in passes per game (39.4). Diontae Johnson leads all receivers with 714 yards and four touchdowns. 

The Steelers' defense is the heartbeat of this team and has been for a few years now. Luckily for them, TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are returning from injury in time for Week 12. They rank 12th in the NFL in opponent points per game (22.6) and fourth in sack percentage (7.65%).

Over their last five road games, Pittsburgh is 4-1 against the spread. In their previous 22 meetings in Cincinnati, the Steelers are 16-4-2 against the spread. 

Why Bengals Could Cover the Spread 

The Bengals are having an impressive season, primarily due to Joe Burrow returning from his ACL injury. Some say Burrow could be in contention for comeback player of the year with Dak Prescott.

The Bengals are 6-4 and rank second in the AFC North. They had back-to-back terrible losses to the Jets and Browns and then beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11, 32-13. Cincinnati outscored Las Vegas 19-7 in the 4th quarter and forced two turnovers in the victory. Burrow finished throwing 20-of-29 for 148 yards and one touchdown. Cincinnati ranks ninth in the NFL in points per game (26.8) and has the fourth-highest red-zone scoring percentage (69.23%). 

Defensively, the Bengals are having a solid season. They allow the eighth fewest points to opponents (21.6) and the seventh fewest opposing touchdowns per game (2.4). Last time out, they held the Raiders to 13 first downs and 278 total yards.

Every time these two teams play, it is a very low-scoring, physical battle. They should be able to pressure Roethlisberger, who looks his age this year. He has struggled to throw an accurate ball and has zero movement in the pocket. 

Final Steelers-Bengals Prediction & Pick

Both teams need this win to gain ground in the AFC North division. The Steelers' offense has been very inconsistent, and they have relied on their defense to keep them in games.

The Bengals looked good last week on the road, but that doesn't erase the two embarrassing losses before then. Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh in Week 3, so the Steelers will be looking for revenge on Sunday.

As long as Big Ben can play well and convert in the red zone, Pittsburgh should be able to cover the spread. The return of Watt and Fitzpatrick will have a significant impact on the defense as well. I will back the Steelers in this AFC North rivalry.

Final Steelers-Bengals Pick: Steelers +3.5